"It’s Very Hard toHave Rights". The Impact of COVID-19 on Refugeeand Migrant Communities in Tijuana

In this report we show that militarized migration enforcement measures, changes in documentation policies, and border closures violate Mexican, U.S., and international law and that these deterrence policies made communities of asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants in Tijuana vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. Our study reveals the institutional barriers that migrants—and especially non-Spanish speaking and Black migrants—have faced in Tijuana during the pandemic, especially regarding employment and access to housing and services. Our study also shows the impacts of official and societal bias and racism on migrants and asylum seekers. Our hope is that the survey and interviews analyzed here will inform future funding and advocacy priorities that uphold . We recommend policy changes that will help address discrimination and better meet the needs of migrants, particularly concerning documentation, legal status, and access to services.